During the past month, American Beaver #23-0153 has been showing some signs of recovery in the Center’s LMI enclosure. In addition to daily wound checks, cleaning, and bandage changes, the veterinary staff surgically dehisced and resutured the wound on the beaver’s left foot on March 19 and 25. Dr. Karra, the Center’s Director of Veterinary Services, reports that the beaver’s wounds have remained clean and free of infection since then and are showing solid signs of proper healing. A lack of physical coordination has been observed during daily checks, but the veterinary staff suspect this may be related to the location of the beaver’s wounds.
The staff have been concerned about the beaver’s appetite and willingness to eat. On March 30, the beaver weighed in at 7.18 kg -- underweight for a healthy adult male. Based on leftover and uneaten food items, Center staff have determined that this beaver currently has a strong preference for corn compared to other vegetables and produce items. During the coming days more corn will be added to his diet in an attempt to improve his overall body condition and weight range. While corn isn’t the most nutritional preferred food item, at this point, the staff just want to add some calories to the beaver’s diet. The beaver’s prognosis remains guarded.